House Dems push DHS to stop working with local police on immigration
Source: Politico
The group said they want to see DHS end the 287(g) program, which allows DHS to enter into agreements with state and local police departments.
By SABRINA RODRIGUEZ
02/12/2021 08:28 AM EST
A group of 60 House Democrats urged the Biden administration on Thursday to end programs at the Department of Homeland Security that allow for state and local police officers to take on the role of federal immigration enforcement.
The push comes as the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, under recently-confirmed Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, is set to release new guidelines on how the agency will handle enforcement after four years of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration agenda.
“The current immigration enforcement regime depends on the time and resources of local law enforcement agencies—at the expense of public safety for all and in particular for immigrant communities,” the lawmakers, led by Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) and Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), wrote in a letter to Mayorkas, shared first with POLITICO.
The group of Democrats said they want to see DHS end the 287(g) program, which allows DHS to enter into agreements with state and local police departments that allows for officers to do the work of ICE agents. The program existed before former President Donald Trump was in office but was expanded under his administration as part of an effort recruit more help from local and state authorities to expel more immigrants in the U.S. illegally.
Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/12/democrats-dhs-police-immigration-468825
